Madurai train fire highlights: ‘Tour turned into lifetime nightmare for us,’ say kin of deceased

Uttar Pradesh resident Alka Prajapati was sleeping in the ill-fated private party train coach when screams of "fire, fire" erupted. Read More

Madurai Train Tragedy: Officials Reveal What Led To Fire; ‘Illegally Smuggled...’ | Key Details - Watch here

Madurai train fire live updates: Shatru Daman Singh (65), Alok's father and a local jaggery businessman in Sitapur, was among those who died in a fire incident in a train compartment in Tamil Nadu's Madurai which killed nine pilgrims and injured 20 others, officials said. "My parents had gone for the pilgrimage on August 17. They were with a group of eight elderly people," Alok Singh said. Alok's mother was also injured in the fire and has been hospitalised.

Speaking to the reporters on Saturday, Shiv Pratap Singh, 65, a Sitapur resident of Adasdh Nagar, who lost his wife Mithilesh Kumari, 62, and his brother-in-law Satru Daman Singh, 65, in the tragic train fire accident, said, “The tour that we had planned turned into a lifetime nightmare for us.” Read More

At least 10 people were killed and many injured after a blaze engulfed a stationary train compartment near Madurai railway station on Saturday, according to news agency PTI. The fire broke out at 5.15am in a "private party coach" with 65 passengers who had arrived from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, a Southern Railway release said. Read More

Madurai train fire live updates: Tamil Nadu Information Technology and Digital Services Minister, Palanivel Thiagarajan on Saturday said that six out of nine people who lost their lives in the train accident in Madurai have been identified and a case has been registered in this regard.

Madurai train fire live updates: The Southern Railway on Saturday announced that a statutory inquiry will be held on August 27 regarding the fire in a railway coach in Madurai, which left nine people dead. A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru, will hold the inquiry on Sunday at the DRM's conference Hall, Divisional Railway Manager's office Complex, Madurai.

Madurai train fire live updates: Uttar Pradesh resident Alka Prajapati was sleeping in the ill-fated private party train coach when screams of "fire, fire" erupted.

While she instinctively scurried towards safety, she found the train door locked. Thankfully, someone broke open the lock to let the panic-stricken passengers out, possibly averting a bigger tragedy. Vinod Kumar, another passenger, said the sudden screams after the fire erupted woke him up from sleep and "we ran for our life." In moving scenes at the spot, women were seen wailing, possibly over the loss of a dear one, while a child recalled the tense moments before fleeing to safety. The fire broke out at 5.15 am on Saturday and Fire service personnel who arrived at the spot half an hour later put down the blaze by 7.15 am.

Madurai train fire live updates: President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said she was deeply pained to learn about the tragic loss of lives in a fire accident in a stationary train near Madurai junction in Tamil Nadu and prayed for the injured to make a speedy recovery.

Madurai train fire live updates: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced an ex-gratia of ₹3 lakh to the kin of those who lost their lives in the train accident in Madurai.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’ CM Stalin wrote, “Deeply saddened by the tragic incident near Madurai Railway junction where nine precious lives were lost in a train fire accident. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the deceased. To support the affected families, an ex-gratia of ₹3 lakh will be provided.”

“It was around 4:30 a.m. when we were sleeping. The staff of the travel agents who booked the tour package were making tea when the blast happened. We're in the coach. The fire was so intense that we did not realise. My wife and my brother-in-law were seriously injured. We were all taken to the district hospital in Madurai where my wife and brother-in-law succumbed to injuries and I and my sister-in-law were discharged,” said Shiv Pratap Singh who is a retired official of the Agriculture department.

“We only want the dead bodies to reach home. We request from the Government of U.P to help reach the dead bodies as soon as possible,” he said.

“The tour that we had planned turned into a lifetime nightmare for us,” said Shiv Pratap Singh, 65, a Sitapur resident of Adasdh Nagar who lost his wife Mithilesh Kumari, 62 and his brother-in-law Satru Daman Singh, 65 in the tragic train fire accident.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the kin of the deceased in Madurai train accident on Saturday morning. The accident has claimed the lives of at least nine passengers from Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier in the day, Southern Railway also announced that an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh will be given to the kin of the deceased in the accident.

CM Yogi also expressed grief and offered condolences to the families of the deceased and instructed officials to coordinate with railway officials and make all necessary arrangements for the treatment of all the injured passengers belonging to UP.

Following CM’s instruction UP government released a toll-free number “1070” with the Principal Secretary Home looking after the opeartion. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Minister Ma Subramanian said, "Nine people died in the incident, out of which four people have been identified. The injured in the accident are being treated. After the postmortem, the bodies will be sent to their hometown. We are talking to the Uttar Pradesh government."

“The unfortunate incident that happened in Madurai was because of illegal use of gas cylinder. The private agent who had booked the train through IRCTC is absconding,” Aditya Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the North Eastern Railway (NER), Lucknow division told PTI on Madurai train fire incident.

“Questions are being raised on railway security. We hope that the railways ministry will answer and deliver on the security of passengers,” Congress leader Pawan Khera told PTI on Madurai train mishap.

“We were sleeping only and suddenly the fire broke out and the doors were locked on all sides, windows were closed. We were not able to find the keys and then we found a pair of pliers and broke the door. Some were able to escape, rest were stuck. We left our luggage and belongings there (in the train),” Ashok Kumar who got injured when the fire broke out in a train coach near Madurai told ANI.